Kierstin Utter

It’s hard to believe that this is the last issue of our tenure as Eye editors. After 24 issues—12 in print and 12 online—countless late nights, and an ongoing transition from print to online, we are proud, exhausted, and excited to see what happens next.

Like many women, I’ve been warned since childhood that I’m a perfect target. Even before sex education in the fourth grade, my parents let me know (in not so few words) that, given the chance, people would take advantage of girls like me.

My first memory of Valentine’s Day is my second-grade teacher giving my class brown paper bags, red glitter glue, and 3-D heart stickers a few days before the 14th to decorate our own personal Valentines mailboxes, where we were expected to deposit notes for our friends (and Hershey’s Kisses).

Since 2002, British street artist Banksy has charmed the public, enthralled the art world, and infuriated the police with his political spray paintings, stenciled onto sidewalks and museum walls alike.

I’ve heard it said that James Franco is a brilliant actor, that he’s James Dean reincarnated, and that he is as intelligent as he is talented. I see the facts on which these statements are based, and I don’t contest them.